Joined: 02 January 2007Posts: 2986Location: The Lakeshore of AnnúminasCountry:

One of those most touching moments to me, especially when I first read Lord of the Rings is when Elladan, Elrohir, Halbarad, and the other thirty Dunedain Rangers that were gathered and rode south with them meet Aragorn and Theoden at night. Was always interested in these characters. Here is an excerpt:

Quote:

Chapter II of Return of the King. Passing of the Grey Company.

... They had not long passed the mounds at the Fords of Isen, when a Rider galloped up from the back of their line.'My Lord,' he said to the king. 'there are horsemen behind us. As we crossed the fords I thought that I heard them. Now we are sure. They are overtaking us, riding hard.'Theoden at once called a halt. The Riders turned about and seized their spears. Aragorn dismounted and set Merry on the ground, and drawing his sword he stood by the king's stirrup. Eomer and his esquire rode back to the rear. Merry felt more like unneeded baggage than ever, and he wondered, if there was a fight, what he should do. Supposing the king's small escort was trapped and overcome but he escaped into the darkness - alone in the wild fields of Rohan with no idea of where he was in all the endless miles? 'No good' he thought. He drew his sword and tightened his belt.The sinking moon was obscured by a great sailing cloud, but suddenly it rode out clear again. Then they all heard the sound of hoofs, and at the same moment they saw dark shapes coming swiftly on the path from the fords. The moonlight glinted here and there on the points of spears. The number of the pursuers could not be told, but they seemed no fewer than the king's escort, at the least.When they were some fifty paces off, Eomer cried out in a loud voice : 'Halt! Halt! Who rides in Rohan?'The pursuers brought their steeds to a sudden stand. A silence followed; and then in the moonlight, a horseman could be seen dismounting and walking slowly forward. His hand showed white as he held it up, palm outward, in token of peace; but the king's men gripped their weapons. At ten paces the man stopped. He was tall, a dark standing shadow. Then his clear voice rang out.'Rohan? Rohan did you say? That is a glad word. We seek that land in haste from long afar.''You have found it.' said Eomer. 'When you crossed the fords yonder you entered it. But it is the realm of Theoden the King. None ride here save by his leave. Who are you? And what is your haste?''Halbarad Dunedain, Ranger of the North I am.' cried the man 'We seek one Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and we heard that he was in Rohan.''And you have found him also!' cried Aragorn. Giving his reigns to Merry, he ran forward and embraced the newcomer. 'Halbarad!' he said. 'Of all joys this is the least expected!'Merry breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that this was some last trick of Saruman's, to waylay king while he had only a few men about him; but it seemed there would be no need to die in Theoden's defence, not yet at any rate. He sheathed his sword.'All is well.' said Aragorn, turning back. 'Here are some of my own kin from the far land where I dwelt. But why they come, and how many they be, Halbarad shall tell us.''I have thirty with me.' said Halbarad. 'That is all of our kindred that could be gathered in haste; but the brethren Elladan and Elrohir have ridden with us, desiring to go to the war. We rode swiftly as we might when your summons came.''But I did not summon you,' said Aragorn, 'save only in wish.My thoughts have often turned to you, and seldom more than tonight; yet I have sent no word. But come! All such matters must wait. You find us riding in haste and danger. Ride with us now, if the king will give his leave.'Theoden was indeed glad of the news. 'It is well!' he said. 'If these kinsmen be in any way like to yourself, my lord Aragorn, thirty such knights will be a strength that cannot be counted by heads.'

Then the Riders set out again, and Aragorn for a while rode with the Dunedain; and when they had spoken of tidings in the North and in the South, Elrohir said to him :'I bring word to you from my father : "The Days are short. If thou art in haste, remember the Paths of the Dead."''Always my days have seemed to me short to achieve my desire.' answered Aragorn. 'But great indeed will be my haste ere I take that road.''That will soon be seen.' said Elrohir. 'But let us speak no more of these things upon the open road!'And Aragorn said to Halbarad : 'What is that that you bear, kinsman?'For he saw that instead of a spear he bore a tall staff, as it were a standard, but it was close-furled in a black cloth bound about with many thongs.'It is a gift that I bring you from the Lady of Rivendell.' answered Halbarad. 'She wrought it in secret, and long was the making. But she also sends word to you : "The days now are short. Either our hope cometh, or all hopes end. Therefore I send thee what I have made for thee. Fare well Elfstone!"'And Aragorn said : 'Now I know what you bear. Bear it still for me a while!' And he turned and looked away to the North under the great stars, and then he fell silent and spoke no more while the night's journey lasted.

I just love this whole passage!

_________________~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Dunedain Ranger of the NorthAnnalist, Physician, & Historianof The Black Company of the Dúnedain,The Free Company of Arnor

One of those most touching moments to me, especially when I first read Lord of the Rings is when Elladan, Elrohir, Halbarad, and the other thirty Dunedain Rangers that were gathered and rode south with them meet Aragorn and Theoden at night. Was always interested in these characters. Here is an excerpt:

Quote:

Chapter II of Return of the King. Passing of the Grey Company.

... They had not long passed the mounds at the Fords of Isen, when a Rider galloped up from the back of their line.'My Lord,' he said to the king. 'there are horsemen behind us. As we crossed the fords I thought that I heard them. Now we are sure. They are overtaking us, riding hard.'Theoden at once called a halt. The Riders turned about and seized their spears. Aragorn dismounted and set Merry on the ground, and drawing his sword he stood by the king's stirrup. Eomer and his esquire rode back to the rear. Merry felt more like unneeded baggage than ever, and he wondered, if there was a fight, what he should do. Supposing the king's small escort was trapped and overcome but he escaped into the darkness - alone in the wild fields of Rohan with no idea of where he was in all the endless miles? 'No good' he thought. He drew his sword and tightened his belt.The sinking moon was obscured by a great sailing cloud, but suddenly it rode out clear again. Then they all heard the sound of hoofs, and at the same moment they saw dark shapes coming swiftly on the path from the fords. The moonlight glinted here and there on the points of spears. The number of the pursuers could not be told, but they seemed no fewer than the king's escort, at the least.When they were some fifty paces off, Eomer cried out in a loud voice : 'Halt! Halt! Who rides in Rohan?'The pursuers brought their steeds to a sudden stand. A silence followed; and then in the moonlight, a horseman could be seen dismounting and walking slowly forward. His hand showed white as he held it up, palm outward, in token of peace; but the king's men gripped their weapons. At ten paces the man stopped. He was tall, a dark standing shadow. Then his clear voice rang out.'Rohan? Rohan did you say? That is a glad word. We seek that land in haste from long afar.''You have found it.' said Eomer. 'When you crossed the fords yonder you entered it. But it is the realm of Theoden the King. None ride here save by his leave. Who are you? And what is your haste?''Halbarad Dunedain, Ranger of the North I am.' cried the man 'We seek one Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and we heard that he was in Rohan.''And you have found him also!' cried Aragorn. Giving his reigns to Merry, he ran forward and embraced the newcomer. 'Halbarad!' he said. 'Of all joys this is the least expected!'Merry breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that this was some last trick of Saruman's, to waylay king while he had only a few men about him; but it seemed there would be no need to die in Theoden's defence, not yet at any rate. He sheathed his sword.'All is well.' said Aragorn, turning back. 'Here are some of my own kin from the far land where I dwelt. But why they come, and how many they be, Halbarad shall tell us.''I have thirty with me.' said Halbarad. 'That is all of our kindred that could be gathered in haste; but the brethren Elladan and Elrohir have ridden with us, desiring to go to the war. We rode swiftly as we might when your summons came.''But I did not summon you,' said Aragorn, 'save only in wish.My thoughts have often turned to you, and seldom more than tonight; yet I have sent no word. But come! All such matters must wait. You find us riding in haste and danger. Ride with us now, if the king will give his leave.'Theoden was indeed glad of the news. 'It is well!' he said. 'If these kinsmen be in any way like to yourself, my lord Aragorn, thirty such knights will be a strength that cannot be counted by heads.'

Then the Riders set out again, and Aragorn for a while rode with the Dunedain; and when they had spoken of tidings in the North and in the South, Elrohir said to him :'I bring word to you from my father : "The Days are short. If thou art in haste, remember the Paths of the Dead."''Always my days have seemed to me short to achieve my desire.' answered Aragorn. 'But great indeed will be my haste ere I take that road.''That will soon be seen.' said Elrohir. 'But let us speak no more of these things upon the open road!'And Aragorn said to Halbarad : 'What is that that you bear, kinsman?'For he saw that instead of a spear he bore a tall staff, as it were a standard, but it was close-furled in a black cloth bound about with many thongs.'It is a gift that I bring you from the Lady of Rivendell.' answered Halbarad. 'She wrought it in secret, and long was the making. But she also sends word to you : "The days now are short. Either our hope cometh, or all hopes end. Therefore I send thee what I have made for thee. Fare well Elfstone!"'And Aragorn said : 'Now I know what you bear. Bear it still for me a while!' And he turned and looked away to the North under the great stars, and then he fell silent and spoke no more while the night's journey lasted.

I just love this whole passage!

I do love this part as well! The standard wrought by Arwen must have been a majestic one! Did Tolkien do any artwork as to what this standard looked like?

_________________“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet,there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Joined: 02 January 2007Posts: 2986Location: The Lakeshore of AnnúminasCountry:

Deumeawyn wrote:

Hanasian wrote:

One of those most touching moments to me, especially when I first read Lord of the Rings is when Elladan, Elrohir, Halbarad, and the other thirty Dunedain Rangers that were gathered and rode south with them meet Aragorn and Theoden at night. Was always interested in these characters. Here is an excerpt:

Quote:

Chapter II of Return of the King. Passing of the Grey Company.

... They had not long passed the mounds at the Fords of Isen, when a Rider galloped up from the back of their line.'My Lord,' he said to the king. 'there are horsemen behind us. As we crossed the fords I thought that I heard them. Now we are sure. They are overtaking us, riding hard.'Theoden at once called a halt. The Riders turned about and seized their spears. Aragorn dismounted and set Merry on the ground, and drawing his sword he stood by the king's stirrup. Eomer and his esquire rode back to the rear. Merry felt more like unneeded baggage than ever, and he wondered, if there was a fight, what he should do. Supposing the king's small escort was trapped and overcome but he escaped into the darkness - alone in the wild fields of Rohan with no idea of where he was in all the endless miles? 'No good' he thought. He drew his sword and tightened his belt.The sinking moon was obscured by a great sailing cloud, but suddenly it rode out clear again. Then they all heard the sound of hoofs, and at the same moment they saw dark shapes coming swiftly on the path from the fords. The moonlight glinted here and there on the points of spears. The number of the pursuers could not be told, but they seemed no fewer than the king's escort, at the least.When they were some fifty paces off, Eomer cried out in a loud voice : 'Halt! Halt! Who rides in Rohan?'The pursuers brought their steeds to a sudden stand. A silence followed; and then in the moonlight, a horseman could be seen dismounting and walking slowly forward. His hand showed white as he held it up, palm outward, in token of peace; but the king's men gripped their weapons. At ten paces the man stopped. He was tall, a dark standing shadow. Then his clear voice rang out.'Rohan? Rohan did you say? That is a glad word. We seek that land in haste from long afar.''You have found it.' said Eomer. 'When you crossed the fords yonder you entered it. But it is the realm of Theoden the King. None ride here save by his leave. Who are you? And what is your haste?''Halbarad Dunedain, Ranger of the North I am.' cried the man 'We seek one Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and we heard that he was in Rohan.''And you have found him also!' cried Aragorn. Giving his reigns to Merry, he ran forward and embraced the newcomer. 'Halbarad!' he said. 'Of all joys this is the least expected!'Merry breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that this was some last trick of Saruman's, to waylay king while he had only a few men about him; but it seemed there would be no need to die in Theoden's defence, not yet at any rate. He sheathed his sword.'All is well.' said Aragorn, turning back. 'Here are some of my own kin from the far land where I dwelt. But why they come, and how many they be, Halbarad shall tell us.''I have thirty with me.' said Halbarad. 'That is all of our kindred that could be gathered in haste; but the brethren Elladan and Elrohir have ridden with us, desiring to go to the war. We rode swiftly as we might when your summons came.''But I did not summon you,' said Aragorn, 'save only in wish.My thoughts have often turned to you, and seldom more than tonight; yet I have sent no word. But come! All such matters must wait. You find us riding in haste and danger. Ride with us now, if the king will give his leave.'Theoden was indeed glad of the news. 'It is well!' he said. 'If these kinsmen be in any way like to yourself, my lord Aragorn, thirty such knights will be a strength that cannot be counted by heads.'

Then the Riders set out again, and Aragorn for a while rode with the Dunedain; and when they had spoken of tidings in the North and in the South, Elrohir said to him :'I bring word to you from my father : "The Days are short. If thou art in haste, remember the Paths of the Dead."''Always my days have seemed to me short to achieve my desire.' answered Aragorn. 'But great indeed will be my haste ere I take that road.''That will soon be seen.' said Elrohir. 'But let us speak no more of these things upon the open road!'And Aragorn said to Halbarad : 'What is that that you bear, kinsman?'For he saw that instead of a spear he bore a tall staff, as it were a standard, but it was close-furled in a black cloth bound about with many thongs.'It is a gift that I bring you from the Lady of Rivendell.' answered Halbarad. 'She wrought it in secret, and long was the making. But she also sends word to you : "The days now are short. Either our hope cometh, or all hopes end. Therefore I send thee what I have made for thee. Fare well Elfstone!"'And Aragorn said : 'Now I know what you bear. Bear it still for me a while!' And he turned and looked away to the North under the great stars, and then he fell silent and spoke no more while the night's journey lasted.

I just love this whole passage!

I do love this part as well! The standard wrought by Arwen must have been a majestic one! Did Tolkien do any artwork as to what this standard looked like?

I think all we have is the description given in the book:

Quote:

Aragorn went forth again to danger and toil. And while the world darkened and fear fell on Middle-earth, as the power of Sauron grew and the Barad-dûr rose ever taller and stronger, Arwen remained in Rivendell, and when Aragorn was abroad, from afar she watched over him in thought; and in hope she made for him a great and kingly standard, such as only one might display who claimed the lordship of the Númenoreans and the inheritance of Elendil.

The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Here Follows a Part of The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen

Quote:

And then wonder took [Éomer], and a great joy; and he cast his sword up in the sunlight and sang as he caught it. And all eyes followed his gaze, and behold! upon the foremost ship a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it as she turned towards the Harlond. There flowered a White Tree, and that was for Gondor; but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it, the signs of Elendil that no lord had borne for years beyond count. And the stars flamed in the sunlight, for they were wrought of gems by Arwen daughter of Elrond; and the crown was bright in the morning, for it was wrought of mithril and gold.

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 6, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

And there is this part from the Stone of Erech...

Quote:

And it came to pass that in the hour of defeat Aragorn came up from the sea and unfurled the standard of Arwen in the battle of the Fields of Pelennor, and in that day he was first hailed as king. And at last when all was done he entered into the inheritance of his fathers and received the crown of Gondor and sceptre of Arnor; and at Midsummer in the year of the Fall of Sauron he took the hand of Arwen Undómiel, and they were wedded in the city of the Kings.

The Return of the King, LoTR Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers: Here Follows a Part of The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen

Quote:

Aragorn speaks to them. “The hour is come at last. Now I go to Pelargir upon Anduin, and ye shall come after me. And when all this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever. For I am Elessar, Isildur’s heir of Gondor.”

And as he speaks he bids Halbarad to unfurl the banner that he carries, “and behold! it was black, and if there was any device upon it, it was hidden in the darkness.”

_________________~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Dunedain Ranger of the NorthAnnalist, Physician, & Historianof The Black Company of the Dúnedain,The Free Company of Arnor

Well the characters in the Grey Company, are awesome, Elves, Men, Dwarf, and Rangers, that's an awesome mix!

There were Dwarves in the Grey Company that set out after Aragorn in cannon?

Granted Gimli, along with Legolas, melded with the Grey Company when Aragorn took to the Paths of the Dead, but I do not recall Dwarves setting out with Elladan, Elrohir and the 30 Rangers of the North.

Joined: 04 November 2005Posts: 18935Location: In a pudle on Naboo with dragon kind and ents and Jedi and wolves living in the Last Homely House!
Gender: Male

A black banner with the flowering tree (I am assuming white since it is... The white tree. ) with gems as seven stars that catch the sun as fire and a crown of mithril above that shines in the light... Now THAT would be a sight to see. It is simple things like this that I truly wish would have made it into the movie.

EmmaSwan was merely pointing out the great diversity of characters in the chapter.

Well, I can't speculate as to Emma's intention as she and I have never crossed paths. For me, though, I have this internal dichotomy for the Grey Company as being the Company that encountered Aragorn on his way to Dunharrow. What they'd be called after that point, I'm not sure.

Between that and the use of the plural form of Dwarf, it seemed to me that there was a tacit assertion that there was more than one Dwarf in the Grey Company (pre or post Aragorn reunion).

Joined: 05 March 2017Posts: 1609Location: I've been where Aragorn hasn't, but I now live in a cross between Hobbiton and Rivendell.Country:Gender: Male

Well, the relevant chapter in LoTR is called “The Passing of the Grey Company”, the passing to my mind clearly referring to the passing of the Paths of The Dead at the end of the chapter. That was with Legolas and Gimli – and Aragorn, and all three of these had their Elven cloaks. And Looking at EmmaSwan’s quote precisely: “… Elves, Men, Dwarf, and Rangers …” there was only one Elf, Legolas; Dwarf is Gimli. But what’s with the distinction “… Men … and Rangers”??? The Rangers were men, and Aragorn was also a Ranger.

I can only guess that what was meant was “Elf, Man, Dwarf” meaning the three hunters of the Orcs from the Fellowship, plus now the Rangers. I know my typing stinks, so I always write in a Word document first to have the spellcheck function correct my misses, and also often (perhaps not often enough) check to see if I’ve made myself clear. So maybe direct “typing” say on a mobile phone, spontaneously, can lead to such unedited ambiguity.

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